Using the "NO SALE" button to effectively embezzle money as Bartender Theft.

The article below an example how bartenders will use the "no sale" key to mask bartender theft issues. The embezzlement takes place when the bartender accepts cash goes to the register or terminal and presses "no sale" to open the drawer and make it appear they are going to the register to appease anyone watching and/or cameras. From here the stealing occurs by them putting the money in their pocket or tip jar AND/OR they may store the stolen money in the register itself to take out at a later time. Watch for any abacus system they may be using to track the stolen embezzled money in the register (pennies/nickels/dimes in the drawer, colored M&M's, straws, toothpicks, cell phones etc). Many times they will use the ruse of changing out one dollar bills from the tip jar placing two $40 in one's in the register and taking out a $100 in $20's and making it appear legitimate when in actuality they have in fact effectively laundered the stolen money. An additional counter to this is to perform frequent random drawer pulls mid-shift to discover if they are gregariously over in the drawer and match against the "no sale" frequency. On that note, we also recommend not letting them "Z" a register and using a blind bank drop instead (e-mail our office for a form and further information info@hospitalitycheckpoint.com). Lastly, if at all possible, disable the "no sale" button completely. If they need to make change for say pool tables or something of that nature, have a separate bank in say a zipper money bag with $50 in quarters for them to exchange. Anybody who complains about this should send up a red flag for you.

The owner of The Drunken Clam bar on Greenville Avenue reported a bartender for pocketing the money he'd collected from customers. Johnston Police charged Adam W. Cesario, 26, of 8 Greenville Ave., Johnston, with two felony counts of embezzlement of more than $100 on Apr. 8 after the owner of The Drunken Clam bar, located downstairs in the same building, alleged that Cesario had pocketed the money paid by customers on two separate nights.

Thomas Paolantonio, owner of The Drunken Clam, called local officers on Apr. 8 and requested that they impose a no-trespass order on Cesario for the bar. When the officers arrived, Ptlm. Joseph McGinn reported, Paolantonio told them that he had fired Cesario after reviewing sales receipts from Apr. 4 and 5 and discovering a $400 difference in reported sales and the actual money collected.According to the police report, Paolantonio also explained that he reviewed the surveillance tapes and saw Cesario serving drinks, then pressing the “no sale” button on the cash register.

Paolantonio also told the officers that Cesario took the money from the customers, but placed the money into his pants pocket or the tip jar. When Paolantonio confronted Cesario with the information, he told McGinn, Cesario admitted he pocketed the money and agreed to pay Paolantonio back. Cesario estimated the amount owed to The Drunken Clam was about $300, and described his actions as “wrong” and stemming from “immature frustration,” according to McGinn's report.

Officers arrested Cesario with two counts of embezzlement, one each for Apr. 4 and 5, and presented him for arraignment at police headquarters, where he was released on $5,000 personal recognizance until a scheduled June 8 court hearing.